1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of an IC card connector for which an IC card used, for example, as a storage medium in a personal computer or the like is inserted and ejected.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A certain personal computer is provided with an IC card connector in which an IC card as a storage medium is mounted.
This IC card is mounted to the IC card connector and carries out a writing or reading of required information. In the IC card is incorporated a semiconductor such as a semiconductor IC (integrated circuit); besides, there is used a high-frequency circuit. Therefore, the influence of, for example, an electromagnetic wave noise is apt to be exerted on the exterior. As a measure against EMI (electromagnetic interference) (radiation noise), a certain IC card connector is provided with a shielding member such as a shielding plate.
There is known an IC card connector having a shutter mechanism in an IC card insertion port of the connector so that the interior can not be seen easily when an IC card is not inserted therein. In such an IC card connector provided with a shutter mechanism, shutter members capable of being opened and closed, which are attached to a front side of the connector, are usually formed integrally with a housing or guide frames formed in the housing.
More particularly, according to the structure of the conventional IC card connector provided with a shutter mechanism, a housing having plural connector terminals and guide frames into which an IC card is inserted and held are formed using an insulating material such as a synthetic resin or an electrically conductive material such as a metallic plate, a support member for supporting the shutter members is formed integrally on the front side of the housing and the guide frames, i.e., on the side where an IC card is inserted, and the shutter members are supported by the support member rotatably so that they can be opened and closed.
In the above structure of the conventional IC card connector, however, when an IC card is inserted into the connector, the associated shutter member rotates, and when the insertion of the IC card has been completed, the shutter member is superimposed on an IC card face in the thickness direction of the card, so that the connector size in its thickness direction increases by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the shutter member, thus giving rise to the problem that the reduction in thickness of the connector is difficult.
In this connection, even if the shutter members are formed thin, there arises the problem that the shutter members are deformed or damaged when rotating upon insertion of IC cards into the connector.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a structure of an IC card connector provided with a shutter mechanism and capable of attaining the reduction of thickness while maintaining the strength of shutter members and permitting easy insertion therein of an IC card.
According to a first embodiment the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems there is proveded an IC card connector comprising a housing having plural connector terminals, guide frames disposed opposedly to each other at both side portions of the housing and having guide grooves into which an IC card to be connected to the connector terminals is inserted and held, an insertion port defined by the guide frames for insertion therein of the IC card, and shutter members for opening and closing the insertion port, wherein a thin-walled cutout recess is formed on the surface side of each of the shutter members for preventing abutment of the shutter member against an expanded portion formed on the surface or the back of the IC card when inserted into the insertion port.
According to a second embodiment of the invention, thick-walled flat portions for abutment thereagainst of a front portion of the IC card when inserted into the insertion port are formed at both side ends of the cutout recess formed in each of the shutter members.
According to a third embodiment of the invention, the IC card connector further includes a support frame mounted bridgewise on front sides of the guide frames, the guide grooves are formed in two upper and lower stages in the guide frames and the shutter members are supported pivotably by the support frame so that the shutter members can be opened and closed each individually correspondingly to the guide grooves.